The MaudCast: The Podcast of the L.M. Montgomery Institute

S03E04 The Fantastic Realms of L.M. Montgomery, with Heidi A. Lawrence.

What happens when we read L.M. Montgomery as a work of fantasy? C.S. Lewis expert Brenton Dickieson chats with Children's Literature and Fantasy and L. M. Montgomery scholar, Heidi  A. Lawrence about the intense realism and rich expansiveness of other worlds in fiction.

In this episode, MaudCast host Brenton Dickieson sits down with Heidi A. Lawrence, a scholar of L. M. Montgomery, eco-psychology, children’s literature, and fantasy. This long-awaited conversation starts with bedside-table books and ends up somewhere out in the cosmos and near the realms of theology. Along the way, Heidi and Brenton talk about everything: why middle grade fiction takes a harder skill to write than anyone gives it credit for, what Heidi’s University of Glasgow PhD found when it put L’Engle’s realism and fantasy in the same universe, and what C.S. Lewis’s talking-brutes and Tolkien’s eucatastrophe have to do with reading Prince Edward Island as a fantasy world. Brenton and Heidi trace Anne’s imaginary friends, Emily of New Moon’s “flash,” and Jane of Lantern Hill’s magic house through the lens of fantasy theory, including Brian Attebery’s fuzzy sets, Farah Mendlesohn’s four types of fantasy, and J.R.R. Tolkien’s work in “On Fairy-stories.” Eventually, they land on the most dynamic question of the hour: is providence just fantasy by another name? It’s a conversation for anyone who’s ever reread a favourite book and found it richer the second time.

The MaudCast is the podcast of the L.M. Montgomery Institute. In our quest to discover cutting-edge scholarship about the life and works of Lucy Maud Montgomery, we welcome to the microphone leading academics, emerging scholars, local researchers, and imaginative readers and writers from around the world. Hosted by Dr. Brenton Dickieson, we broadcast from the beautiful campus of the University of Prince Edward Island.

Lawrence, Heidi A. Reading Madeleine L’Engle: Ecopsychology in Children’s and Adolescent Literature. Routledge, 2023.

Lawrence, Heidi A. “Absent Fathers: Conversations Between L.M. Montgomery and Madeleine L’Engle.” In Children and Childhoods in L.M. Montgomery: Continuing Conversations, eds. Rita Bode, Lesley Clement, Holly Pike, and Margaret Steffler. McGill-Queen’s UP, 2022, pp. 182–200.

Lawrence, Heidi A. “‘Lost Laughter’: Mental Health through Nature Connectedness in Magic for Marigold.” Journal of L.M. Montgomery Studies, special collection “L.M. Montgomery and Mental Health,” ed. Lesley D. Clement, 29 May 2023.

Lawrence, Heidi A. “Caught Forever in a Picture Frame: The Impact of the Gaze in Kilmeny of the Orchard.” Journal of L.M. Montgomery Studies, special collection “L.M. Montgomery and Vision,” eds. Lesley D. Clement and Tara K. Parmiter, 8 Nov. 2022.

To our Tolkien-loving friends, when Brenton says “Gandalf is a dwarf,” he is simply making a link between the Middle-earth character and “Gandalfr” in the Poetic Edda. We have not changed his species.

And finally, a quick note that our bookish friend and yours, Madeleine L’Engle died September 6, 2007, not when we had guessed in the chat. Dear Madeline, thanks for all the stories!

Heidi A. Lawrence studies the intersections of literature for young people with ecopsychology and ecotherapy, and has a special interest in fantasy and highly imaginative literature. She considers the ways in which such readings allow audiences to re-imagine their connections to the nonhuman world, leading to increased well-being. She is also beginning to think about ways in which fantasy may be flying under the radar in children’s literature. She has a monograph with Routledge on Madeleine L’Engle and ecopsychology, as well as articles and a book chapter on L.M. Montgomery and a book chapter on Louisa May Alcott. She holds a PhD in English Literature (University of Glasgow, UK), MA degrees in English (Brigham Young University) and Medieval Studies (University of Leeds, UK), and an MPhil in English Literature (University of York, UK). She currently adjuncts at Brigham Young University (Provo, Utah).

Host and Founding Producer: Brenton Dickieson

Founding Co-Producer: Kate Scarth

Technical Director: Kristy McKinney

Interim Producer: Donald Moses

MaudCast Intern: Fleur Rodrigues

Music: Nicolas Riel 

Logo Design: Heidi Haering

Find the MaudCast on Instagram: www.instagram.com/lmmimaudcast

Find the MaudCast’s other socials on linktree: https://linktr.ee/TheMaudcast?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=0c4e460c-2b28-4322-a8b6-95f4451b92aa 

L.M. Montgomery Institute’s website: https://www.lmmontgomery.ca/

The Journal of L.M. Montgomery Studies: https://journaloflmmontgomerystudies.ca/

Find Brenton Dickieson on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bdickieson

Check out Brenton Dickieson’s website: www.aPilgrimInNarnia.com

Find Nicolas Riel on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/24tFIIiCjulHu0pbxeQVdA?si=RwSzlCJkQ9604TR-qxNinQ

Special thanks to the Robertson Library at UPEI and all of our community partners.

The MaudCast is supported in part by funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

MaudCast S03E03 Emily Carr, L.M. Montgomery, and Literary Houses of Dreams, with Bonnie Tulloch and Pascale Halliday

Episode Description:

Host Brenton Dickieson sits down with Pascale Halliday, former Executive Director of the Emily Carr House, and Dr. Bonnie Tulloch, L.M. Montgomery scholar and educator, to explore the surprising parallels between Carr and Montgomery. Born about the same time as islanders on opposite sides of the country—Carr in Victoria, BC in 1871, and Montgomery on Prince Edward Island’s north shore in 1874—both women turned early creative ambition, complicated family lives, and decades of life writing into a lasting national mythology. Pascale takes us inside the Carr House itself, including the (in)famous Howloween Pet Parade, while Bonnie brings her research on storytelling and sense-making to bear on what connects a painter of the Pacific coast to the Atlantic Canadian author of Green Gables.

What is the MaudCast?

The MaudCast is the podcast of the L.M. Montgomery Institute. In our quest to discover cutting-edge scholarship about the life and works of Lucy Maud Montgomery, we welcome to the microphone leading academics, emerging scholars, local researchers, and imaginative readers and writers from around the world. Hosted by Dr. Brenton Dickieson, we broadcast from the beautiful campus of the University of Prince Edward Island.

Episode Links

Special Guest Bios

Dr. Bonnie Tulloch (she/her) completed her PhD in the School of Information at the University of British Columbia in 2023, building on a 2018 Vanier Scholarship, a 2020 UBC Public Scholar Award, and the inaugural Elizabeth R. Epperly Award for Outstanding Early Career Paper at the L.M. Montgomery and Reading Conference. Her research spans children’s and young adult literature and media, with a focus on the sense-making practices underlying different forms of storytelling—her dissertation examined youth, internet memes, and digital citizenship. Earlier projects include a study of Canadian children’s island fiction and a master’s thesis on children’s nonsense poetry. As an interdisciplinary scholar, she is works as a very creative teacher in BC. At the time of recording, Bonnie served as Journal Coordinator for the Journal of L.M. Montgomery Studies.

Pascale Halliday (she/her) is a history and education professional with a background in museum interpretation, program development, and historic site direction. She was Executive Director of the Carr House Community Society in Victoria, BC—the birthplace of artist and author Emily Carr—after roles there as summer interpreter and programming manager. She has since moved to New Brunswick, where she is Visitor Program Manager at Kings Landing Historical Settlement, and remains on the Carr House board. Alongside Bonnie Tulloch, she is currently developing a blog project on the historic houses of female authors.

The MaudCast Team

Host and Founding Producer: Brenton Dickieson

Founding Co-Producer: Kate Scarth

Technical Director: Kristy McKinney

Interim Producer: Donald Moses

Guest Producer: Fleur Rodrigues

MaudCast Intern: Fleur Rodrigues

Music: Nicolas Riel 

Logo Design: Heidi Haering

Where to find the MaudCast

Find the MaudCast on Instagram: www.instagram.com/lmmimaudcast

L.M. Montgomery Institute’s website: https://www.lmmontgomery.ca/

The Journal of L.M. Montgomery Studies: https://journaloflmmontgomerystudies.ca/

Find the MaudCast’s other socials on linktree: https://linktr.ee/TheMaudcast?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=0c4e460c-2b28-4322-a8b6-95f4451b92aa 

Find Brenton Dickieson on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bdickieson

Check out Brenton Dickieson’s website: www.aPilgrimInNarnia.com

Find Nicolas Riel on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/24tFIIiCjulHu0pbxeQVdA?si=RwSzlCJkQ9604TR-qxNinQ

Special thanks to the Robertson Library at UPEI and all of our community partners.

The MaudCast is supported in part by funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

Allison Hudson and Caroline Jones are two of the organizers of the next biennial L.M. Montgomery Institute conference (that’s every two years, not “biannual” as twice a year, like host Brenton Dickieson says in the episode). LMMI26 is here in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, June 24-28, 2026. The Montgomery conference is a highlight for so many artists, scholars, librarians, Montgomery community members, and avid readers of her work. In this episode, three friends and scholars catch up on the news, share some fond memories of past conferences, and give some hints about what’s to come.

Dr. Allison McBain Hudson is the current Visiting Scholar at the L.M. Montgomery Institute—or the LMMI, as we call it. Her Ph.D. from Dublin City University is on the significance of material culture in Montgomery’s novels, and in the episode, we talk about what “material culture studies” really means (you can hear Brenton's stumbling definition and Allison’s elegant correction). Originally from Alberta, Allison has lived in Ireland for nearly three decades, where she quilts, sews, walks dogs, and has two daughters with her husband, an Irish artist. Allison is one of the keynote speakers at the conference.

Dr. Caroline E. Jones is a past LMMI Visiting Scholar and has published a host of essay anthologies and scholarly papers. Every time I hear Caroline give a talk, I am amazed by her creative mind. In this episode, we’ll find out more about her research, which, like Allison’s, looks more closely at Montgomery’s Emily of New Moon trilogy. Formerly a bookseller and full-time academic, Caroline currently works as an editor in Austin, Texas, USA.

This episode brings together three countries—Dublin, Ireland, Prince Edward Island, Canada, and Texas, USA—Montgomery friends in conversation, even when there is an ocean and a continent in between. We hope you enjoy the episode—including the news that the most powerful Anne of my childhood, Megan Follows, will give a keynote talk. To find out more about the June conference and our guests, check out the details below.

Tagline: Bringing listeners warm, thoughtful conversations inspired by the life and works of Lucy Maud Montgomery.

Description: In this episode, we discuss fond memories of past L.M. Montgomery Institute conferences, and happy hopes for the next one in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, June 24-28, 2026.

Conference Link: https://lmmontgomery.ca/upcoming-conference/2026-l-m-montgomery-and-change/

What is the MaudCast?

The MaudCast is the podcast of the L.M. Montgomery Institute. In the our quest to discover cutting-edge scholarship about the life and works of Lucy Maud Montgomery, we welcome to the microphone leading academics, emerging scholars, local researchers, and imaginative readers and writers from around the world. Hosted by Dr. Brenton Dickieson, we broadcast from the beautiful campus of the University of Prince Edward Island.

The MaudCast Team

Host and Founding Producer: Brenton Dickieson

Founding Co-Producer: Kate Scarth

Technical Director: Kristy McKinney

MaudCast Intern: Fleur Rodrigues (with writing and design credits)

Music: Nicolas Riel, with an editing credit on this episode

Logo Design: Heidi Haering

Find the MaudCast Team Online

Find the MaudCast on Instagram: www.instagram.com/lmmimaudcast

L.M. Montgomery Institute’s website: https://www.lmmontgomery.ca/

The Journal of L.M. Montgomery Studies: https://journaloflmmontgomerystudies.ca/

Find the MaudCast’s other socials on linktree: https://linktr.ee/TheMaudcast?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=0c4e460c-2b28-4322-a8b6-95f4451b92aa  

Find Brenton Dickieson on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bdickieson

Check out Brenton Dickieson’s website: www.aPilgrimInNarnia.com

Find Nicolas Riel on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/24tFIIiCjulHu0pbxeQVdA?si=RwSzlCJkQ9604TR-qxNinQ

Special Guest Bio

Dr. Allison McBain Hudson is the current Visiting Scholar at the L.M. Montgomery Institute. She recently completed her Ph.D. at Dublin City University on the significance of material culture in the novels of L.M. Montgomery, particularly the Emily trilogy. Originally from Alberta, she obtained a BA in English from the University of Calgary in 1995 and moved to Ireland in 1997. She earned an MA in Children’s and Young Adult Literature from Dublin City University in 2019 with a focus on Montgomery’s unique Romanticism and “everyday magic.” When she’s not studying or teaching, she is quilting and sewing, walking the dogs in the woods, and looking for old houses and kindred spirits. She is married to an Irish artist, and they live on the outskirts of Dublin with their two daughters.

2026 Keynote Title: “Maud, Pat, and Me: The Materiality of Change”

Allison's Socials:

Instagram: @allisonmcbainhudson

Bluesky: @drmcbainhudson.bsky.social

Threads: @allisonmcbainhudson

Dr. Caroline E. Jones is a past Visiting Scholar at the L.M. Montgomery Institute. Her work on Montgomery goes back to her M.A. thesis, which explores the “happy ending” of the Emily trilogy. She has since presented and published on class, motherhood, the young artist, and more in Montgomery. She has essays in Children’s Play in Literature (2019), L.M. Montgomery and War (2017), L.M. Montgomery’s Rainbow Valleys (2015), and Anne Around the World (2013). Her most recent publication is “Read What You Know: Nostalgia and the Discovery of Self through L.M. Montgomery’s Emily of New Moon,” which appears in the L.M. Montgomery and Re-Vision collection in the Journal of L.M. Montgomery Studies. Formerly a bookseller and full-time academic, she currently works as an editor in Austin, Texas, USA.

Caroline's Socials:

Instagram: @byrdstarr

Facebook: Caroline Emily Byrdstarr

Threads: @byrdstarr

Special thanks to the Robertson Library at UPEI and all of our community partners.

The MaudCast is supported in part by funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

Bringing listeners warm, thoughtful conversations inspired by the life and works of Lucy Maud Montgomery.

Description: In this episode, we discuss the editorial and archival adventures of Carolyn Strom Collins, as she talks about the manuscript edition of L.M. Montgomery’s hilarious and unusual romance, The Blue Castle.

What is the MaudCast?

The MaudCast is the podcast of the L.M. Montgomery Institute. In the MaudCast’s quest to discover cutting-edge scholarship about the life and works of Lucy Maud Montgomery, we welcome to the microphone leading academics, emerging scholars, local researchers, and imaginative readers and writers from around the world. Hosted by Dr. Brenton Dickieson, we broadcast from the beautiful campus of the University of Prince Edward Island.

Special Guest Bio

Carolyn Strom Collins is the author of The Anne of Green Gables Treasury and other “Anne” companion books. She has also published companion books on Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House books, Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, and Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden. Carolyn founded The L. M. Montgomery Literary Society as well as the Friends of the L. M. Montgomery Institute.

In season one of the MaudCast, Carolyn joined us to discuss a couple of her editorial projects: After Many Years: Twenty-one “Long-Lost” Stories by L. M. Montgomery and Anne of Green Gables: The Original Manuscript. We are sitting down with Carolyn on the release of another brilliant Montgomery archival resource, The Blue Castle: The Original Manuscript.  

The MaudCast Team

Host and Founding Producer: Brenton Dickieson

Founding Co-Producer: Kate Scarth

Technical Director: Kristy McKinney

MaudCast Intern: Fleur Rodrigues

Visual Design: Heidi Haering

Music: Nicolas Riel

Find the MaudCast on Instagram at www.instagram.com/lmmimaudcast

L.M. Montgomery Institute website: https://www.lmmontgomery.ca/

L.M. Montgomery Institute X: @LMMI_PEI

The Journal of L.M. Montgomery Studies: https://journaloflmmontgomerystudies.ca/

Find Brenton Dickieson on Instagram and X: https://www.instagram.com/bdickieson

Brenton Dickieson on Instagram and X: https://linktr.ee/brentondickieson

Brenton Dickieson’s website: www.aPilgrimInNarnia.com

Find Nicolas Riel on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/24tFIIiCjulHu0pbxeQVdA?si=RwSzlCJkQ9604TR-qxNinQ

Contact Information for the L.M. Montgomery Literary Society:

Website: https://lmmontgomeryliterarysociety.weebly.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lmmlitsociety/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LMmontgomeryLS

Special thanks to the Robertson Library at UPEI and all of our community partners.

The MaudCast is supported in part by funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

MaudCast S03E00 The MaudSwap with the Kindred Spirits Podcast

A live on-location podcast swap from the imaginative birthplace of L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables. How did Montgomery keep her love and writing life secret from the curious eyes of her Cavendish neighbours?

Description

In this season three launch of the MaudCast, we chat with Ragon Duffy and Kelly Gerner, the hosts of the Kindred Spirits Podcast. On a very hot summer day, MaudCast host Brenton Dickieson met Kelly and Ragon at the Green Gables Heritage Site in Cavendish. They headed up the hill to the church, which was built when Montgomery was caring for her grandmother at the homestead at the back of the same property. This episode offers a local perspective on Montgomery’s life and works, including the great secrets of her private life as a public figure. We hope you enjoy this special crossover episode between the MaudCast and Kindred Spirits Book Club! A podcast swap … a podswap—a MaudSwap! When you enjoy, please like and share.

Show Notes

The MaudCast is the podcast of the L.M. Montgomery Institute. In the MaudCast’s quest to discover cutting-edge scholarship about the life and works of Lucy Maud Montgomery, we welcome leading academics, emerging scholars, local researchers, and imaginative readers and writers from around the world to the microphone. Hosted by Dr. Brenton Dickieson, we broadcast from the beautiful campus of the University of Prince Edward Island.

Guest Host Bios

Ragon Duffy and Kelly Gerner are fans of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s work and have been sharing their love for Anne through their podcast: The Kindred Spirit Book Club. They bring beloved characters from the page into our homes through witty and insightful conversations, so we’re very pleased to join with them in on this podswap episode!

Follow Kelly and Ragon on Instagram: @kindredspirits.bookclub

Website: https://www.kindredspiritsbookclub.com/

The MaudCast Team

Host and Founding Producer: Brenton Dickieson

Founding Co-Producer: Kate Scarth

Technical Director: Kristy McKinney

MaudCast Intern: Fleur Rodrigues

Logo Design: Heidi Haering

The MaudCast on Social Media

Find the MaudCast on Instagram: @LMMIMaudCast

L.M. Montgomery Institute website: https://www.lmmontgomery.ca/

Kindred Spaces Research Collection Online: https://kindredspaces.ca/

The Journal of L.M. Montgomery Studies: https://journaloflmmontgomerystudies.ca/

Brenton Dickieson Twitter: @BrentonDana

Brenton Dickieson Instagram: @bdickieson

Brenton Dickieson website: www.aPilgrimInNarnia.com

Credits

Susato’s “Selection from The Danserye: III. Les Quatre Branle” performed by the UPEI Wind Symphony, directed by Dr. Karem J Simon, available for purchase here: https://upeiwindsymphony.bandcamp.com/album/the-danserye

Thanks to Rev. Eric and the volunteers at the Cavendish United Church for hosting our discussion.

Special thanks to the Robertson Library at UPEI, the L.M. Montgomery Institute, and all of our community partners. The MaudCast is supported in part by funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

MaudCast S02E05 Alan MacEachern, L.M. Montgomery Institute Visiting Scholar 

In this episode, historian Alan MacEachern joins Brenton Dickieson to talk about Alan’s work as a historian of place and as the 2022-23 L.M. Montgomery Institute Visiting Scholar. Dr. Alan MacEachern is a Canadian history professor at the University of Western Ontario. He has recently published a book on the Miramichi fire, and an upcoming book with UPEI’s Dr. Ed MacDonald, The Summer Trade: A History of Tourism on Prince Edward Island, will be out any day now. As they are both “Island boys,” Brenton and Alan discuss this unique place to visit and call home, Prince Edward Island, and how Montgomery’s life and works help people from around the world become intrigued with PEI. They talk about the upcoming Montgomery Institute Conference in June 2022, with the theme of “L.M. Montgomery and Re-Vision.” Alan also shares about his current research project on the diary of Myrtle Webb, bringing to life the family that lived at the home that inspired the “Green Gables” in Montgomery’s iconic Anne books. 

The MaudCast is the podcast of the L.M. Montgomery Institute. In the MaudCast’s quest to discover cutting-edge scholarship about the life and works of Lucy Maud Montgomery, we welcome to the microphone leading academics, emerging scholars, local researchers, and imaginative readers and writers from around the world. Hosted by Dr. Brenton Dickieson, we broadcast from the beautiful campus of the University of Prince Edward Island. 

The MaudCast Team

Host and Founding Producer: Brenton Dickieson

Founding Co-Producer: Kate Scarth

Technical Director: Kristy McKinney

Researcher: Keziah Stoltz

Researcher: Abbey McRoberts

Researcher: Alyssa Gillespie

Visual Design: Heidi Haering

Web Coordinator: Melanie J. Fishbane

MaudCast Media Contacts:

Find the MaudCast on Twitter and Instagram @LMMIMaudCast

L.M. Montgomery Institute Website: https://www.lmmontgomery.ca/ 

L.M. Montgomery Institute Twitter: @LMMI_PEI

Kindred Spaces Research Collection Online: https://kindredspaces.ca/ 

The Journal of L.M. Montgomery Studies: https://journaloflmmontgomerystudies.ca/ 

Brenton Dickieson Twitter: @BrentonDana

Brenton Dickieson website: www.aPilgrimInNarnia.com 

Brenton Dickieson Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bdickieson/  

Guest Social Media Links:   

Twitter: https://twitter.com/alanmaceachern  

University Website: https://history.uwo.ca/people/faculty/maceachern.html   

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1623333.Alan_MacEachern?from_search=true&from_srp=true  

Closing Quotation:

The extract from Myrtle Webb’s diary will be part of Dr. MacEachern’s future book, tentatively titled Myrtle Webb of Green Gables. You can see his upcoming keynote talk at the L.M. Montgomery and Re-vision conference this summer, information here: https://lmmontgomery.ca//lm-montgomery-and-re-vision 

MacEachern, Alan and MacDonald, Edward. The Summer Trade: A History of Tourism on Prince Edward Island. Montreal and Kingston: McGill-Queen’s University Press. Publication Date: April 15th, 2022

MacEachern, Alan. The Miramichi Fire: A history. Montreal and Kingston: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2020 

MacEachern, Alan. Natural Selections: National Parks in Atlantic Canada, 1935–1970. Montreal and Kingston: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2001.

The MaudCast is a global podcast in a digital age but operates in a particular time and place. Thus, we would like to respectfully acknowledge that the land upon which we broadcast is the traditional and ongoing unceded territory of the Abegweit Mi’kmaq First Nation.

Special thanks to the Robertson Library at UPEI and all of our community partners.

Susato’s “Selection from The Danserye: III. Les Quatre Branle” performed by the UPEI Wind Symphony, directed by Dr. Karem J Simon, available for purchase here: https://upeiwindsymphony.bandcamp.com/album/the-danserye.

The MaudCast is supported in part by funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

In this episode, Brenton Dickieson is pleased to connect with Montgomery-inspired poet and scholar, Julie A. Sellers, on her collection of poems, Kindred Verse: Poems inspired by Anne of Green Gables–a collection filled photographs, reflections, and poems in conversation with the eight Anne books by L.M. Montgomery. Rooted in images of home, the natural, and the adventurous imagination, Kindred Verse is a reflection of how Montgomery’s works and the character of Anne have reshaped Julie’s own sense of the possible. Inspired by readings from Kindred Verses, Julie and Brenton discuss themes of nostalgia, friendship, and landscapes both natural and imaginative.

The MaudCast is the podcast of the L.M. Montgomery Institute. In the MaudCast’s quest to discover cutting-edge scholarship about the life and works of Lucy Maud Montgomery, we welcome to the microphone leading academics, emerging scholars, local researchers, and imaginative readers and writers from around the world. Hosted by Dr. Brenton Dickieson, we broadcast from the beautiful campus of the University of Prince Edward Island. 

The MaudCast Team

Host and Founding Producer: Brenton Dickieson

Founding Co-Producer: Kate Scarth

Technical Director: Kristy McKinney

Researcher: Abbey McRoberts

Researcher: Alyssa Gillespie

Researcher: Keziah Stoltz

Visual Design: Heidi Haering

Web Coordinator: Melanie J. Fishbane

MaudCast Media Contacts:

Find the MaudCast on Twitter and Instagram @LMMIMaudCast

L.M. Montgomery Institute Website: https://www.lmmontgomery.ca/ 

L.M. Montgomery Institute Twitter: @LMMI_PEI

Kindred Spaces Research Collection Online: https://kindredspaces.ca/ 

The Journal of L.M. Montgomery Studies: https://journaloflmmontgomerystudies.ca/ 

Brenton Dickieson Twitter: @BrentonDana

Brenton Dickieson website: www.aPilgrimInNarnia.com 

Brenton Dickieson Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bdickieson/  

Guest Social Media Links:   

Twitter: @julieasellers 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julieasellersauthor  

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/julieasellers/

Website: https://julieasellers.com/ 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7785927.Julie_A_Sellers

Closing Quotation:

“We will meet, somewhere, there in the middle of the book…” From Julie A. Sellers, Kindred Verse: Poems Inspired by Anne of Green Gables (Wichita: Blue Cedar Press, 2021), p. 20.

Sellers, Julie A. Kindred Verse: Poems Inspired by Anne of Green Gables. Wichita: Blue Cedar Press, 2021.

Sellers, Julie A. “‘Just as If I Was a Heroine in a Book’: Quixotic Identification in and with Anne of Green Gables.” In Reflections on Our Relationships with Anne of Green Gables: Kindred Spirits, edited by Jessica Carniel and Nike Sulway, 105–20. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2021.

Sellers, Julie A. “‘A Good Imagination Gone Wrong’: Reading Anne of Green Gables as a Quixotic Novel.” Journal of L.M. Montgomery Studies, 5 June 2019, https://journaloflmmontgomerystudies.ca/reading/sellers.

The MaudCast is a global podcast in a digital age but operates in a real time and space. Thus, we would like to respectfully acknowledge that the land upon which we broadcast is the traditional and ongoing unceded territory of the Abegweit Mi’kmaq First Nation.

Special thanks to the Robertson Library at UPEI and all of our community partners.

Susato’s “Selection from The Danserye: III. Les Quatre Branle” performed by the UPEI Wind Symphony, directed by Dr. Karem J Simon, available for purchase here: https://upeiwindsymphony.bandcamp.com/album/the-danserye.

The MaudCast is supported in part by funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

MaudCast S02E03 Melanie Fishbane and Images of Montgomery as an Author

In this episode, host Brenton Dickieson sits down with scholar and fiction writer, Melanie J. Fishbane to talk about how Mel brings together the creative and the critical in dialogue with L.M. Montgomery’s life and work. At the centre of their discussion is Mel’s literary YA historical fiction, Maud. They discuss Mel’s research and discovery process, getting to the heart of how Lucy Maud Montgomery--”Maud” to her friends and family--became a living character in Mel’s imagination. They discuss Mel’s artistic and character choices, including the difficult conversation about Montgomery and indigenous peoples she encountered, especially in her year in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. Mel’s choices in the novel, we see--including an elegant moment of drawing the question to the surface--are informed by sensitive research, scholarly insight, writerly instinct, and the ethical choice to seek consultation. Listeners to this episode will appreciate an in-depth discussion about the writing process, and hear about Melanie’s scholarly work, including a recent paper bringing together two Annes--Anne Frank and Anne of Green Gables--woven together thoughtfully with Melanie’s own writerly perspective. Listeners will also enjoy conversation about great books, journaling, the perils of workplace cats, and the importance of coloured pens.

Podcast Description

The MaudCast is the podcast of the L.M. Montgomery Institute. In the MaudCast’s quest to discover cutting-edge scholarship about the life and works of Lucy Maud Montgomery, we welcome to the microphone leading academics, emerging scholars, local researchers, and imaginative readers and writers from around the world. Hosted by Dr. Brenton Dickieson, we broadcast from the beautiful campus of the University of Prince Edward Island. 

The MaudCast Team

Host and Founding Producer: Brenton Dickieson

Founding Co-Producer: Kate Scarth

Technical Director: Kristy McKinney

Researcher: Abbey McRoberts

Researcher: Alyssa Gillespie

Researcher: Keziah Stoltz

Visual Design: Heidi Haering

Web Coordinator: Melanie J. Fishbane

MaudCast Media Contacts:

Find the MaudCast on Twitter and Instagram @LMMIMaudCast

L.M. Montgomery Institute Website: https://www.lmmontgomery.ca/ 

L.M. Montgomery Institute Twitter: @LMMI_PEI

Kindred Spaces Research Collection Online: https://kindredspaces.ca/ 

The Journal of L.M. Montgomery Studies: https://journaloflmmontgomerystudies.ca/ 

Brenton Dickieson Twitter: @BrentonDana

Brenton Dickieson website: www.aPilgrimInNarnia.com 

Brenton Dickieson Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bdickieson/  

Guest Social Media Links:   

Twitter: @MelanieFishbane

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelanieJFishbane/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melanie_fishbane/ 

Website: https://melaniefishbane.com/ 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15505239.Melanie_J_Fishbane 

Susato’s “Selection from The Danserye: III. Les Quatre Branle” performed by the UPEI Wind Symphony, directed by Dr. Karem J Simon, available for purchase here: https://upeiwindsymphony.bandcamp.com/album/the-danserye.

Adapted Closing Quotation:

“May you, dear readers, create stories that come from the dark corners of your soul, giving voice to your rainbow valleys, shining waters, and disappointed houses too” (Melanie J. Fishbane, Maud: A Novel INspired by the Life of L.M. Montgomery, p. 366).

Research References from the Show:

Fishbane, Melanie J. Maud: A Novel Inspired by the Life of L.M. Montgomery. Toronto: Penguin Teen Canada, 2017.

Fishbane, Melanie J. “Two Annes, Many Annes: A Writer’s Reflection on Reading Anne of Green Gables and The Diary of a Young Girl.” Journal of L.M. Montgomery Studies, 18 July 2021, https://journaloflmmontgomerystudies.ca/reading/fishbane-two-annes-many-annes. 

Fishbane, Melanie J. “‘My Pen Shall Heal, Not Hurt’: Writing as Therapy in Rilla of Ingleside and The Blythes Are Quoted.” In L.M. Montgomery’s Rainbow Valleys: The Ontario Years, 1911–1942, edited by Rita Bode and Lesley D. Clement, 131–44, 290–91. Montreal and Kingston: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2015.

Dickieson, Brenton D.G. “Befriending the Darkness: L.M. Montgomery’s Lived Theodicy in Anne’s House of Dreams.” Journal of L.M. Montgomery Studies, 25 Oct 2021, https://journaloflmmontgomerystudies.ca/reading/Dickieson/Befriending-the-Darkness. 

Special thanks to the Robertson Library at UPEI and all of our community partners.

The MaudCast is supported in part by funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

In this episode, host Brenton Dickieson was joined by two Atlantic Canadian L.M. Montgomery scholars, E. Holly Pike and Laura Robinson. Laura and Holly share about their labour of longsuffering love, the richly edited volume, L.M. Montgomery and Gender, recently published by McGill-Queen’s University Press. In discussion about some of the thoughtful essays in the collection, readers will enjoy hearing about the complex relationship of masculinities and feminitities in Montgomery’s novels and short stories. In particular, Brenton, Holly, and Laura press in on “what L.M. Montgomery is doing to us as readers,” focussing on her particularly deft inversive and subversive tendencies. Within a broad-ranging conversation about books, research, and the social moment, Laura and Holly also share their stories of discovering the imaginative possibilities of working critically with Montgomery’s works and their hopes for an ever-increasing diversity of voices within the Montgomery scholarly community. 

Show Notes

The MaudCast is the podcast of the L.M. Montgomery Institute. In the MaudCast’s quest to discover cutting-edge scholarship about the life and works of Lucy Maud Montgomery, we welcome to the microphone leading academics, emerging scholars, local researchers, and imaginative readers and writers from around the world. Hosted by Dr. Brenton Dickieson, we broadcast from the beautiful campus of the University of Prince Edward Island. 

The MaudCast Team

Host and Founding Producer: Brenton Dickieson

Founding Co-Producer: Kate Scarth

Technical Director: Kristy McKinney

Researcher: Abbey McRoberts

Researcher: Alyssa Gillespie

Visual Design: Heidi Haering

Web Coordinator: Melanie J. Fishbane

MaudCast Media Contacts:

Find the MaudCast on Twitter and Instagram @LMMIMaudCast

L.M. Montgomery Institute Website: https://www.lmmontgomery.ca/ 

L.M. Montgomery Institute Twitter: @LMMI_PEI

Kindred Spaces Research Collection Online: https://kindredspaces.ca/ 

The Journal of L.M. Montgomery Studies: https://journaloflmmontgomerystudies.ca/ 

Brenton Dickieson Twitter: @BrentonDana

Brenton Dickieson website: www.aPilgrimInNarnia.com 

Brenton Dickieson Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bdickieson/  

Guest Social Media Links:   

Twitter: @Laura_Learns

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robin.laurenson 

Instagram:  laurarobinson1928

Acadia U website: https://english.acadiau.ca/dr-laura-robinson.html 

Closing Quotation: 

“Wave and undertow, affirmation and undercutting: there is no clear end for a time or an idea or a book that people continue to read. Modernism celebrated fractured time, wounded time; Montgomery insisted on time’s deep continuities; she endorsed healing.” (Elizabeth Rollins Epperly, “Magic for Marigold: Engendering Questions about What Lasts,” in L.M. Montgomery and Gender, ed. E. Holly Pike and Laura M. Robinson (McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2021), p. 346).

Research References from the Show: 

Pike, E. Holly, and Laura M. Robinson, eds. L.M. Montgomery and Gender. Montreal and Kingston: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2021.

Robinson, Laura M. “Kindred Spirits: Kinship and the Nature of Nature in Anne’s House of Dreams and The Blue Castle.” In L.M. Montgomery and the Matter of Nature(s), edited by Rita Bode and Jean Mitchell, 171–83, 240–41. Montreal and Kingston: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2018.

Pike, E. Holly. “Cross-Dressing: Twins, Language, and Gender in L.M. Montgomery’s Short Fiction.” In L.M. Montgomery and Gender, edited by E. Holly Pike and Laura M. Robinson, 175–94. Montreal and Kingston: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2021.

Pike, E. Holly. “Reading the Book as Object and Thing in L.M. Montgomery’s Emily Series.” In “L.M. Montgomery and Reading,” edited by Emily Woster and Kate Scarth. Special collection, Journal of L.M. Montgomery Studies, 15 December 2020. https://doi.org/10.32393/jlmms/2021.0003. 

Montgomery, L.M. A Name for Herself: Selected Writings, 1891–1917. Edited by Benjamin Lefebvre. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2018. The L.M. Montgomery Library.

Credits:

Susato’s “Selection from The Danserye: III. Les Quatre Branle” performed by the UPEI Wind Symphony, directed by Dr. Karem J Simon, available for purchase here: https://upeiwindsymphony.bandcamp.com/album/the-danserye.

Special thanks to the Robertson Library at UPEI and all of our community partners.

The MaudCast is supported in part by funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

MaudCast S02E01 Allison Hudson and How We Touch the Books We Read 

In this episode, host Brenton Dickieson sits down with Allison McBain Hudson, a Canadian-Irish writer and Montgomery scholar. Following an MA in Children’s and Young Adult Literature that focused on Montgomery’s rural Canadian romanticism in Anne of Green Gables and the Emily trilogy, Allison has moved on to PhD studies in literature at Dublin City University. Brenton and Allison discuss her research, how she moves from “metaphysical” ideas in Montgomery’s writings in her MA research, to the discovery of “physical” objects in her doctoral dissertation. In particular, Allison discusses her research in “material culture” in L.M. Montgomery’s novels--the tangible, tactile objects that make up the details of everyday life. These objects, like houses, books, portraits, mittens, and hanging hams provide atmosphere and setting in the novel, but they also provide connection points between the characters and carry other kinds of significance for the reader. While Allison and Brenton chat about the Emily trilogy throughout, their conversation about books ranges out into the fantastic, considering the “material culture” of objects like wardrobes, sewing machines, rings, and mundane portkeys in writers like C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, J.K. Rowling, Madeleine L’Engle, Ursula K. Le Guin, Katherine Paterson, and Annie Dillard.

Show Notes

The MaudCast is the podcast of the L.M. Montgomery Institute. In the MaudCast’s quest to discover cutting-edge scholarship about the life and works of Lucy Maud Montgomery, we welcome to the microphone leading academics, emerging scholars, local researchers, and imaginative readers and writers from around the world. Hosted by Dr. Brenton Dickieson, we broadcast from the beautiful campus of the University of Prince Edward Island. 

The MaudCast Team

Host and Founding Producer: Brenton Dickieson

Founding Co-Producer: Kate Scarth

Technical Director: Kristy McKinney

Researcher: Abbey McRoberts

Researcher: Alyssa Gillespie

Visual Design: Heidi Haering

Web Coordinator: Melanie J. Fishbane

Find the MaudCast on Twitter and Instagram @LMMIMaudCast

L.M. Montgomery Institute Website: https://www.lmmontgomery.ca/

L.M. Montgomery Institute Twitter: @LMMI_PEI

Kindred Spaces Research Collection Online: https://kindredspaces.ca/

The Journal of L.M. Montgomery Studies: https://journaloflmmontgomerystudies.ca/

Brenton Dickieson Twitter: @BrentonDana

Brenton Dickieson website: www.aPilgrimInNarnia.com 

Guest Social Media Links:   

Twitter: @Nikiwan72

Facebook: Allison McBain Hudson

Instagram: @nikiwan72

Susato’s “Selection from The Danserye: III. Les Quatre Branle” performed by the UPEI Wind Symphony, directed by Dr. Karem J Simon, available for purchase here: https://upeiwindsymphony.bandcamp.com/album/the-danserye.

Closing quotation: 

“[Jane] had been away from Lantern Hill for nine months, but now it seemed to her that she had never been away at all. She had been living here all along. It was her spirit’s home” (L.M. Montgomery, Jane of Lantern Hill (Seal Books, 1988), p.169).

Other quotations: 

“Our lives are characterised by innumerable encounters with objects…Objects are routinely, mundanely, part of everyday existence. Moreover, beyond this pragmatic view, even the most commonplace object has the capacity to symbolise the deepest human anxieties and aspirations…in important ways objects have a type of power over us…people require objects to understand and perform aspects of selfhood, and to navigate the terrain of culture more broadly” (Ian Woodward, Understanding Material Culture, p. vi).

“Emily had never seen a kitchen like this before. It had dark wooden walls and low ceiling, with black rafters crossing it, from which hung hams and sides of bacon and bunches of herbs and new socks and mittens, and many other things, the names and uses of which Emily could not imagine. The sanded floor was spotlessly white, but the boards had been scrubbed away through the years until the knots in them stuck up all over in funny little bosses, and in front of the stove they had sagged, making a queer, shallow little hollow” (L.M. Montgomery, Emily of New Moon, ch. 6).

Special thanks to the Robertson Library at UPEI and all of our community partners.

The MaudCast is supported in part by funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.